Learning begins with you. You must make a commitment to your personal growth. Personal development means that a high level of energy, persistence and a positive outlook are displayed. Ways to improve are sought. Ability to learn from mistakes and to take action from constructive criticism.

Brings a high energy level to the workplace. Handles stress. Strives to maintain a healthy well being and balance.

Show commitment to the company’s mission through attitude and actions.

Takes an active approach to solving problems.

Reacts positively to setbacks.

Learns from mistakes. Avoid blaming others.

Learns from criticism. Recognizes that self-perceptions of performance maybe different from the perceptions of others.

Developing others means that the attributes of coaching, guiding, acknowledging, and leading are all demonstrated. Timely, objective reviews are provided. Training is made available. A positive atmosphere is promoted and enthusiastic attitudes expected.

Cultivates individual talents. Promotes the building of ones strengths.

The role of interpersonal skills in management cannot be ignored. Any manager doing an effective job and interested in enhancing their leadership must focus on building personal relationships. Building personal relationships means that you need to demonstrate caring and empathy for others. It is important to be considerate of other’s feelings and use tact in all interactions. Be aware of your biases and work hard not to let them interfere with your interface with others. Building personal relationships means that you show composure even under stress.

Be aware and sense the impact of words and actions on others. Acknowledge others for their work, motivating. Listening clearly and intently. Taking the high road to apologize if a word or action is insensitive.

Shows respect for all.

Provides feedback and criticism constructively.

Be grounded and calm. Do not let emotions rule the situation and escalate a situation.

Adaptability means that you can be flexible. As circumstances change you can adjust. You can handle diversity well. It also means being creative, thinking creatively.

Adjust to your manger’s and employee’s diverse work styles. Adjust to different work environments – the office, the manufacturing floor, the client’s location. Handle changing circumstances involving setbacks. Think constructively and anticipate change. Look for what changes may be coming.

Think outside of the box, think from a different point of view. Engage your imagination with “what if?” and other questions. Analyze and take risks. Try something new.

Strong leadership means that you can instill trust in others, provide solid direction with clear expectations and delegate. You must begin to develop your interpersonal skills to be effective in management.

Instill trust by working honestly and ethically. You must be trusted to keep promises and maintain confidentiality.

Provide solid directions for work to be done by establishing clear expectations. Outline the bigger steps or milestone toward a goal. Provide a watch over the workload making sure it is manageable and progress is being made toward the overall vision.

Delegate work to others based on their strengths or competencies. Putting the right person on the right job. Provide the big picture, the big steps and then get out of the way. Empower others to work and solve any problems on their own.

Effective communication means that you can express your thoughts and ideas clearly, both written and oral. Your speaking and writing must be thorough and concise. Your approach to your communication should be consistent and straightforward. Speak and write what you believe. Let your integrity show through. And I believe, to be an effective communicator you should always be open to sharing information with others.

Speak effectively to individuals. Provide timely feedback. Ask questions to engage and ensure their understanding. Watch for non verbal clues about their reaction to your communication. Define your communication as a request (an action they will agree to take on), a promise (an action you promise to take on) or information only.

Take the time to improve your business writing skills and consistently practice improving your business speaking skills.

Reason #85 out of my leadership ebook, 101 Reasons To Be A Passionate Leader: Why Developing Your Leadership Is Critical Today! is one of my favorites. And represents a necessary leadership competency that can be challenging pushing leadership development to the uncomfortable zone.

C.K. Prahalad, Distinguished Professor of Strategy at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business shares the following with his MBA and executive education participants:

“…Managers must remember that they are the custodians of society’s most powerful institutions. They must therefore hold themselves to a higher standard. Managers must strive to achieve success with responsibility.”

Here are a few of his remarks:
• Be concerned about due process. People seek fairness – not favors. They want to be heard.
• Learn to relate to those who are less fortunate.
• Expect to be judged by what you do and how well you do it – not by what you day you want to do.